pagnapagna: SIBUAN-OTONG Falls

"It's rainy season again, time to explore the waterfalls at the outskirt of the city"

-pagnapagna

Please practice the leave no trace outdoor ethics when going to these nature places. Let us not vandalize, put graffiti on their rocks and stone walls. Manage and dispose our waste products properly.

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-my pagnapagna-

From the San Fernando City Plaza, we rode a jeep going south (6:36 am) and we got down from it at the intersection near Pagudpud-Pagdalagan area (6:42 am). There, we started walking at a road going east. We passed by the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish Church at barangay Pagdalagan then barangay Bungro, barangay Tanquigan and finally we were at barangay Sibuan-otong.

On early mornings of Sundays, vendors display their commodities such as vegetables and even pork meat
near the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish church at barangay Pagdalagan

We walked and passed by the barangays of Bungro, Tangquigan and Sibuan-otong.
Above are their welcome arches

Spiders are in season. We passed by kids playing spiders, they kept them in boxes such as the one above.

At the entry point to Sibuan-otong Elementary School

At Sibuan-otong, before a bridge and at a waiting shed, we turned left walking on dirt road (7:39 am). From the dirt road we walked down to a cemented foot path where it led to the rice fields.
Since it was our first time to go there, along our way on the rice field trail, we came upon a crossroad and we don't know which one to take. We waited for someone to pass by and luckily there was this old man who was carrying a sack. We asked him which one of those trails would lead to the waterfalls. He replied, "ay haan nga ditoy, magna kayo idiay bangir" (oh, its not here, you should take the other side). He pointed at the other side of the rice field where we then went.

When i ever see people of this age, they remind me of my parents.
This one reminds me of my Father who recently passed away.

We continued walking on the right trail that led us to the side of the mountain and finally at a small waterfall (8:10 am). That was the Sibuan-otong waterfall but peeking farther upstream, we can see more and much better cascades and we do not know how to get to them. We tried but the stones and rocks seem slippery and we even tried to climb a trail going up the mountain but it does not lead to those upper cascades.

Exotic fruits at the waterfalls

We just contended ourselves with the lower cascades and waited for someone to come along since it was Sunday that day, the chances of someone coming to the waterfalls is great. We waited and waited until we decided to go back that no one came around.

Along the trail on the rice field, at the shades near a house, we happened to meet a person whose name i came to know as "Alvin" (a local resident of the area) seated on the grass waiting for his companions with plastic bag filled with ice at his side. I asked him "Kasatnu gayam mapan idianay ngatngatu nga waterfalls?) (How to get to the upper waterfalls?). Alvin replied "Ada mut la pagnaan idianay. Sumurot kayon a sir ta mapan kami mut laeng idianay" (There is a path over there. You can come with us sir because we are going there). After his companion arrived, we went back to the trail and arrived at the waterfalls.

This is the lower cascade that can be seen below at the end of the mountainside trail

We followed them as they maneuver on top of the stones and rocks going upstream. After going at the fourth level, some of his companions stayed behind to start their picnic while "Alvin" and "Darwin" proceeded to show us the upper levels of the waterfalls. Carefully we went up as the stones and rocks were generally slippery.

the cascade where they had their picnic

One of the many cascades of the waterfalls

There where some areas of the climb where there were vines to cling on.
Thanks to Nature, this one, we had to use tree roots.

There were many levels of cascades and i lost count of it. We passed by some two concrete water reservoirs along the waterway and on the third and uppermost water reservoir was where the main cascade of the waterfall can be seen.

One of the water reservoirs

They told me that that water reservoir supplies a chicken farm nearby.

With "Alvin" our impromptu guide. Here we were on top of another
water reservoir with the uppermost cascade at the background.

After some few minutes, we went back going downstream (10:12 am) and arrived at where his companions were (11:43 am). We thanked them and left them behind (11:52 am) as they resumed their picnic. We continued going downstream, into the rice field trail and to the main road where we had a snack at a sari-sari store (12:17 pm). After a while a passenger jeep came (12:26 pm), we rode on it going downtown San Fernando to get to Home Sweet Home.

-end of pagnapagna-

Subject : Sibuan-otong Falls
Location : Barangay of Sibuan-otong
                City of San Fernando
              Province of La Union

How to get there:

From the San Fernando City Plaza you may:
- Take a jeepney ride or tricycle going to Sibuan-otong and from there walk your way to the waterfalls (Ask direction in the area)
- Ride a jeep going south (Pagdalagan, Naguilian, Bauang) but get down at the intersection along the national highway (the one going to Pagudpud and Bungro or Tanquigan). Walk that eastward road going to Bungro and Tanquigan (the westward road is going to Pagudpud) that will eventually lead to Sibuan-otong and ask direction going to the waterfalls when you arrive at Sibuan-otong.